Loaded Southwest MN Challenge on Tap this Weekend
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The highly anticipated Southwest Minnesota Challenge is just about here with first round matches set to begin Friday (9/6) evening at 5:00pm. With 32 teams competing at both the Red Baron Arena in Marshall, MN and Southwest Minnesota State University,…
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Continue ReadingThe highly anticipated Southwest Minnesota Challenge is just about here with first round matches set to begin Friday (9/6) evening at 5:00pm. With 32 teams competing at both the Red Baron Arena in Marshall, MN and Southwest Minnesota State University, the weekend is certain to provide some high-level and exciting volleyball with teams representing all classifications. Among the class AAA participants, six of the teams scheduled to play are currently ranked in the top 10 in the latest Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association poll, with two others that were previously ranked and are currently receiving votes. Classes AA and A are also represented well with three teams that are currently ranked in their respective polls and are among the juggernauts that are consistently in the hunt for conference and state crowns each year. With this collection of teams slated to play Friday and Saturday this also means that the individual talent that will be on display will feature many of the state’s best athletes, which makes it difficult to predict a winner. Here is a list some of the hottest teams and individual athletes right now scheduled to compete:
FEATURED TEAMS
Benilde St. Margaret’s –
Players to watch:
Sarah Luong
Sarah
Luong
5'10" | MB
Benilde-St. Margaret | 2020
State
MN
(Setter, 2020, Prep Dig #41);
Haley Hewitson
Haley
Hewitson
5'7" | OH
Benilde-St. Margaret | 2020
State
MN
(L, 2020, Prep Dig #89);
Alexis Brixius
Alexis
Brixius
5'10" | OH
Benilde-St. Margarets | 2021
State
MN
(OH, 2021, Prep Dig #72);
Justine Bastyr
Justine
Bastyr
6'3" | MB
Lakeville North | 2021
State
MN
(OH/RS, 2021, Prep Dig #74)
First match: vs. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa | 6:15pm @ Marshall Red Baron Arena Ct. 4
Champlin Park (#6 Class AAA) –
Players to watch:
Jordan Stalpes
Jordan
Stalpes
5'10" | DS/L
Champlin Park | 2020
State
MN
(2020, OH, Prep Dig #6);
Sami Hilley
Sami
Hilley
5'10" | OH
Champlin Park | 2020
State
MN
(2020, MH/S, Prep Dig #10);
Hannah Prasky
Hannah
Prasky
6'0" | MB
Champlin Park | 2020
State
MN
(2020, MH, Prep Dig #17);
Megan Panser
Megan
Panser
5'8" | MB
Champlin Park | 2020
State
MN
(2020, Libero, Prep Dig #58)
First match: vs. YME | 6:15pm @ Marshall Red Baron Arena Ct. 1
Eastview –
Players to watch:
Lauren Crowl
Lauren
Crowl
6'4" | RS
Eastview | 2021
State
MN
(2021, RH, Prep Dig #3);
Emma Grimm
Emma
Grimm
5'9" | OH
Eastview | 2021
State
MN
(2021, OH, Prep Dig #50)
First match: vs. Kasson-Mantorville | 6:15pm @ Marshall Red Baron Arena Ct. 2
Hutchinson –
Players to watch:
Grace Daak
Grace
Daak
6'2" | MB
Hutchinson | 2020
State
MN
(2020, MH, Prep Dig #46);
Aubrey Brunkhorst
Aubrey
Brunkhorst
5'10" | OH
Hutchinson | 2021
State
MN
(2021, OH/RS, Prep Dig #57)
First match: vs. Tracy Milroy Balaton | 5pm @ Marshall Red Baron Arena Ct. 4
Kasson-Mantorville (#5 Class AA) –
Players to watch: Emilee Terry (2020, OH/MH, Prep Dig #63);
Maddie Converse
Maddie
Converse
5'10" | S
Kasson-Mantorville | 2022
State
MN
(2022, S, Prep Dig #16);
Addy Bzoskie
Addy
Bzoskie
5'7" | OH
Kasson-Mantorville | 2022
State
MN
(2022, OH, Prep Dig #38)
First match: vs. Eastview | 6;15pm @ Marshall Red Baron Arena Ct. 2
Lakeville North (#4 Class AAA) –
Players to watch:
Halle Wolfe
Halle
Wolfe
5'7" | DS/L
Lakeville North | 2020
State
MN
(2020, Libero, Prep Dig #16); Maddie Hornyak (2021, OH, Prep Dig #14);
Ella Thompson
Ella
Thompson
6'1" | MB
Lakeville North | 2021
State
MN
(2021, MH/OH, Prep Dig #36); Abbey Milner (2021, MH, Prep Dig #60)
First match: vs. Fergus Falls | 6:15pm @ SMSU Ct. 2
Lakeville South
(#2 Class AA) –
Players to watch:
Ava Moes
Ava
Moes
6'3" | RS
Lakeville South | 2021
State
MN
(2021, RS, Prep Dig #2;
Jasmine Weidemann
Jasmine
Weidemann
5'9" | S
Lakeville South | 2021
State
MN
(2021, S, Prep Dig #9);
Kendyl Storlie
Kendyl
Storlie
5'10" | RS
Lakeville South | 2021
State
MN
(2021, MH, Prep Dig #81)
First match: vs. LeSueur-Henderson | 5pm @ Marshall Red Baron Arena Ct. 3
Marshall (#3 Class AA) –
Players to watch:
Mia Schnaible
Mia
Schnaible
5'6" | MB
Marshall | 2020
State
MN
(2020, Libero, Prep Dig #28);
Logan Sherman
Logan
Sherman
6'1" | MB
Marshall | 2020
State
MN
(2020, S/RS, Prep Dig #28);
Bria Morris
Bria
Morris
5'9" | OH
Marshall | 2020
State
MN
(2020, OH, Prep Dig #52);
Paige Andries
Paige
Andries
6'1" | S
Marshall | 2020
State
MN
(2020, MH, Prep Dig #81)
First match: vs. Owatonna | 5pm @ Marshall Red Baron Arena Ct. 1
Minneota (#2 Class A) –
Players to watch:
Ellie Pesch
Ellie
Pesch
5'3" | DS/L
Minneota | 2021
State
MN
(2021, Libero, Prep Dig #89);
Natalee Rolbiecki
Natalee
Rolbiecki
5'10" | OH
Minneota | 2022
State
MN
(2022, OH/MH, Prep Dig #12)
First match: vs. Burnsville | 5pm @ SMSU Ct. 4
New Prague (Receiving votes Class AAA) –
Players to watch:
Sophia Andersen
Sophia
Andersen
5'10" | OH
New Prague | 2020
State
MN
(2020, OH, Prep Dig #13);
McKenna Vacek
McKenna
Vacek
5'6" | DS/L
New Prague | 2020
State
MN
(2020, Libero, Prep Dig #26);
Dani Friedges
Dani
Friedges
5'10" | DS/L
New Prague | 2020
State
MN
(2020, RH/S, Prep Dig #110);
Tori Moe
Tori
Moe
5'10" | S
New Prague | 2021
State
MN
(2021, S/RS, Prep Dig #37)
First match: vs. Elk River | 6:15pm @ SMSU Ct. 1
Northfield (#7 Class AAA) –
Players to watch:
Bronwyn Timperley
Bronwyn
Timperley
5'11" | MB
Northfield | 2020
State
MN
(2020, OH/RS, Prep Dig #22);
Lida King
Lida
King
6'1" | S
Northfield | 2020
State
MN
(2020, S, Prep Dig # 80);
Emma Torstenson
Emma
Torstenson
5'11" | DS/L
Northfield | 2021
State
MN
(2021, Libero, Prep Dig #7);
Rachel Wieber
Rachel
Wieber
6'0" | OH
Northfield | 2021
State
MN
(2021, OH, Prep Dig #66)
First match: vs. HLO | 5pm @ SMSU Ct. 1
Prior Lake (Receiving votes Class AAA) –
Players to watch:
Camille Libert
Camille
Libert
6'1" | MB
Prior Lake | 2021
State
MN
(2021, MH, Prep Dig #10);
Julia Hanson
Julia
Hanson
6'0" | OH
Prior Lake | 2022
State
#57
Nation
MN
(2022, OH, Prep Dig #1)
First match: vs. Totino Grace | 6:15pm @ SMSU Ct. 4
St. Michael-Albertville (#9 Class AAA) –
Players to watch:
Mikala Henderson
Mikala
Henderson
5'9" | OH
St. Michael-Albertville | 2020
State
MN
(2020, OH, Prep Dig #14); Sam Palmer (2020, OH, Prep Dig #134)
First match: vs. SF Roosevelt | 5pm @ SMSU Ct. 3
Wayzata (#3 Class AAA) –
Players to watch:
Elizabeth Helmich
Elizabeth
Helmich
6'1" | MB
Wayzata | 2020
State
MN
(2020, RS, Prep Dig #3);
Olivia Johnson
Olivia
Johnson
5'10" | S
Wayzata | 2020
State
MN
(2020, S, Prep Dig #15);
Lily Emlong
Lily
Emlong
6'2" | OH
Wayzata | 2020
State
MN
(2020, MH, Prep Dig #32);
Sophie Jesewitz
Sophie
Jesewitz
6'3" | OH
Wayzata | 2022
State
MN
(2021, OH, Prep Dig #4)
First match: vs. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton | 6:15pm @ Marshall Red Baron Arena Ct. 3
OTHER ATHLETES TO WATCH
- Kalleigh Carr Kalleigh Carr 5'6" | DS/L Russell-Tyler-Ruthton | 2021 State MN – RTR | 2021 | RH | Prep Dig #29
- Ellie Dammann Ellie Dammann 6'1" | MB Waconia | 2020 State MN – Waconia | 2020 | MH | Prep Dig #24
- Clare Hilary – Elk River | 2020 | S | Prep Dig #132
- Madison Hinz Madison Hinz 5'7" | OH Yellow Medicine East | 2020 State MN – YME | 2020 | S | Prep Dig #70
- Elizabeth Holscher Elizabeth Holscher 5'5" | DS/L Totino-Grace | 2020 State MN – Totino-Grace | 2020 | Libero | Prep Dig #75
- Karsee Kampsen Karsee Kampsen 5'5" | S Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa | 2021 State MN – BBE | 2021 | S | Prep Dig #26
- Kelly McArthur Kelly McArthur 6'2" | S Bloomington Jefferson | 2021 State MN – Bloomington Jefferson | 2021 | S | Prep Dig #28
- Brenna Stamm Brenna Stamm 5'3" | DS/L Andover | 2021 State MN – Andover | 2021 | DS/L | Prep Dig #61
- Kali Wolf Kali Wolf 6'1" | OH Waconia | 2020 State MN – Waconia | 2020 | OH | Prep Dig #3
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
- First two rounds on Friday 9/6
- Bracket play continues on Saturday
- The championship match is scheduled for 3:45pm on Saturday at Marshall Red Baron Arena.